Turkey Enchiladas

 Ingredients:

3 cups shredded cooked turkey

4 oz. canned green chilies

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ancho Chile powder (if you don't have any, it will still be good without it)

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

10-12 flour tortillas (6-8 inch)

Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup salsa verde

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

(If you like saucy enchiladas, double the sauce recipe.)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

2. Mix the filling in a mixing bowl. Combine the shredded turkey with the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

3. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream salsa verde and cumin until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

4. Microwave or steam the tortillas for about 30 seconds until they are soft, stretchy, and pliable.

5. Lay a tortilla out on a clean cutting board or work surface. Place about 1/3 cup of filling in a line on top of a tortilla. Roll it and place it seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. 

6. Top the enchiladas with the sauce and top with the reserved cheese. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly. 

Peach Cobbler

 Ingredients:

2 quarts of bottle peaches

cinnamon

cornstarch

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

3 tablespoons cold butter or shortening

1/2 cup whole milk

Instructions:

1. Heat peaches and a little bit of cinnamon in pot.

2. Add a slurry of cornstarch to slightly thicken the peaches.

3. In separate bowl or mixer, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter and mix to where the mixture looks like cornmeal or coarse crumbs. 

4. Add milk, but do not over mix. 

5. Pour peaches in glass pyrex dish and drop spoonfuls of the biscuit mix on top.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. 

7. Dish up into a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Laksa Soup

This is a quick, super easy and delicious recipe that my friend Nori Mason taught me how to make. You may need to adjust the amounts as to how many people you are cooking for. Sorry that this is not an exact recipe, but I know that you can make it perfectly. Enjoy!

1.  Saute about 1 tsp. minced garlic and about 1 tsp. shredded ginger in a pot for about 1 minute on medium/low heat.

2.  Add a bottle of Spicy Red Curry Paste to the pot and sauté with ginger and garlic.

3.  Add chicken broth (maybe about 4 cups) and bring up to hot temperature.

4. Taste the broth and see if you need to add more seasonings...maybe more curry paste, chicken broth, salt, pepper, or soy sauce. Whatever you like. 

5. Add bok choy, mung bean sprouts, zucchini, or any other vegetables that you may like. 

6. Add 1 can of coconut milk or cream to the pot of soup. Turn off heat. 

6. Put hot cooked noodles in a bowl with a hard boiled egg on top. Pour hot soup in the bowl and enjoy!! So so good! 

Chicken Poblano Soup with corn, Black Beans, and Potatoes

 Ingredients:

4 medium poblano peppers

2 tablespoons butter

1 large yellow onion, diced small

2 ribs celery, diced small

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 pound chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes

1 tsp. fine sea salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder or ground carne asada seasoning

10 ounces corn kernels, frozen fine

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 pint half and half

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Char the poblanos by placing them directly on the flames of a gas burner, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides, or char them in the broiler or on a grill. Place charred poblanos into a glass bowl with an airtight lid and the let poblanos steam until they're relatively cool. Then, using a damp paper towel or your fingers, peel off and discard the blackened skin.

2. Dice peeled poblanos, removing inner ribs and seeds.

3. In a heavy 5-quart pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. 

4. Stir in garlic and cook one minute more.

5. Add broth, raw chicken tenders, and potatoes to pot and raise heat to high until liquid comes to a boil. Then reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until chicken is just opaque throughout. (This should only take a few minutes.) Remove chicken to a plate or cutting board, cool slightly, and shred with two forks.

6. Add salt, cumin and chili powder, and continue simmering until potatoes are tender.

7. Add corn and beans, along with reserved diced poblanos and shredded chicken, and simmer until warmed through.

8. Off the heat, stir in half and half, lime juice, and cilantro. 

Optional: Add chunks of avocado, shredded cheese, and or chips on top of your bowl of soup. 

Enjoy!! So good!!

Crispy Salmon with Ginger Soy Sauce

This is a yummy, quick way to prepare salmon. You will love it!

Ingredients:

2 pieces salmon filet 6 to 8 ounces per piece

Sea Salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 teaspoons ginger, minced

2 green onions, sliced

2 teaspoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce, or to taste)

Instructions:

Check salmon carefully. Use a paring knife to scale the salmon (If any scales remain) and use a pair of fish tweezers to remove pin bones (if necessary). Thoroughly pat the salmon dry with paper towels.

Lightly season both sides of the salmon with sea salt.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place one piece of salmon into the skillet, skin side down. Immediately use a spatula to push the salmon against the skillet and turn to medium heat. Let cook for 1 minute without moving your spatula. Continue cooking and move spatula around the salmon to press the filet down firmly and thoroughly, 1 to 2 minutes. When the shape of the skin is set you can add the second piece of salmon and cook it using the same method. Cook the salmon until the skin is nicely browned and crispy, and the flesh is 3/4 cooked through on the edges. It can take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes in total (from the time you add the salmon to the pan), depending on the thickness of the salmon. Check on the skin occasionally. If the skin is cooking too fast, turn to medium-low heat. Flip and cook the other side until just cooked, 1 minute or so. Transfer the cooked salmon to serving plates, skin side up. 

Spread 1 teaspoon minced ginger and half the chopped green onion onto the top of each piece of salmon. 

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic into a small skillet or saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until the oil is hot and the garlic is slightly caramelized on the edges.

Remove the skillet from the stove and drizzle half of the hot oil and garlic onto each piece of fish.  You should hear a nice sizzling sound. Immediately drizzle 1 teaspoon light soy sauce onto each piece of fish while the oil is still hot. Serve immediately as a main dish. 

Salsa Verde Chicken Soup

 Ingredients:

2 T. Olive Oil

1 medium organic white onion, diced

3 organic garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. organic ground cumin

1 1/2 cups organic chicken broth or 1 1/2 tsps. organic chicken bouillon base + 1 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp. organic oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

1 (4 ounce) can organic diced green chilies

1 (16 ounce) jar tomatillo salsa

1 - 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless organic chicken breast or thigh

1 (30 ounce) can organic hominy, drained (or sub 1 can of pinto or great northern beans, drained)

3 cups chopped kale, cauliflower florets, and/or cut green beans (any combination)

1/2 cup chopped organic cilantro

1 organic lime

Instructions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, swirl pan to coat and then add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute. 

2. Add the broth, oregano, salt, green chilies, and tomatillo salsa. Stir well and pour into the slow cooker.

3. Nestle the chicken into the liquid in the slow cooker, making sure it is covered. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. 

4. About 30 minutes before serving, use a wooden spoon to gently break the chicken up (it should be fall-apart tender). Add the hominy and vegetables. Cover, turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 30 minutes more. 

Optional for toppings in each bowl: chopped organic cilantro thinly sliced organic green onion, finely shredded organic cabbage, diced organic avocado, thinly sliced organic radishes, sour cream.

                                                                *************************

I changed this recipe a little from it being a thick soup to a more bothie soup by adding more chicken broth which meant I added a little more of the salsa, seasonings, and if you like, the cumin (which I didn't). It is so good!!

Cornbread (Michelle Hileman - Bandera Clone)

Cornbread - Michelle Hileman - Bandera Clone

Moist, sweet and amazing cornbread from the Bandera chain of restaurants owned by Houstons. To accurately clone the restaurant's version, use small (6") cast iron skillets. However, this can just be made in one large 12" cast iron skillet.

Ingredients:

Mix:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

Mix:

1 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar (I use less)

1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn

2 ounces green chili peppers (1/2 small can, roasted style)

Add:

4 eggs added one at a time

Add:

1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)

Mix flour mixture with wet mixture.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven and skillet to 300 degrees.

2. Mix flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder and set aside. Melt butter and combine with sugar, creamed corn, and chili peppers. Mix to combine. Add eggs one-by-one and mix until well blended. Add cheese. Fold in flour mixture until mixed well. Clumps are okay. 

3. Carefully remove cast iron skillet from oven and evenly coat top and sides with coconut, avocado or olive oil. Pour in cornbread batter (be careful, it may splatter).

4. Bake 30-45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.